Glass Reaches the Rooftop Parapet of One Manhattan Square on the Lower East Side

Spotted a couple days ago, glass on the final section of One Manhattan Square, aka 252 South Street, has now reached the top of the 847-foot-tall tower, marking another major milestone of progress since work began back in 2015. Developed by Extell, and designed by Adamson Associates, it stands above the Lower East Side, and is directly adjacent to the Manhattan Bridge and the East River, along Cherry Street and Pike Slip.

One Manhattan Square close up with the first glass panels reaching the penthouse floor levels, photo by Michael Young

Seen in the photo above, the first panels of glass that encompass the penthouse floors have started to be installed on the short elevations facing west, as part of the building’s footprint configured as an offset pair of rectangular floors. The glass chevron pattern seen on the main wider elevations looking north and south is the most notable aspect of the skyscraper when looking up close or across the river from Brooklyn or Long Island City, easily catching the sunlight as it creates a shimmering pattern from top to bottom.

The construction crane has already come down on the southern elevation, and work on the base continues to progress. Standing 80 stories, the building will have 815 residential units, with interiors designed by Meyer Davis Studios, as well as 100,000 square feet of outdoor and indoor amenities such as an indoor basketball court, a bowling alley, a spa and fitness center, a pool, and a private theater.

Also present in the project is 45,000 square feet of outdoor landscaping, designed by West 8 Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, and located on the roof of the building’s podium level. The podium houses the amenities both above and below grade. The roof gardens stand higher than the FDR, allowing residents to enjoy views of the East River and thus feel closer with the presence of the Manhattan Bridge. Standing on the top floors offers expansive views of Brooklyn, Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

The Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn from the top floors of One Manhattan Square, photo by Michael Young

This is not great architecture, and I don’t like that it distracts from the bridges. But the blue glass contrasts nicely with the tans and reds of the brick public housing, and it adds some variation to that part of the skyline — so overall it comes out even.